Thursday, June 11, 2009

Do you ever have one of those days, when you wake up in the morning just knowing that the day is going to be great?

I'm not talking about having an occasional optimistic attitude upon hearing the alarm go off. I'm referring to those mornings, when you just have that deep, in-your-gut feeling that today, something outstanding is going to happen. On those days, I can hardly get out of bed fast enough, rushing through the morning's routine, barely being able to contain excitement- wondering What is it? Where? Could this be it? I find myself looking in pockets of jackets hoping to find a misplaced $5 bill, searching the cabinets to see if there are any hidden 3-muskateers left, asking myself if I should stop by 7-11 and pick up a MegaMillions ticket.

But none of the things that run through my mind could possibly measure up to what today's sheer euphoric moment had offered.

It happened this morning while I was in the cafe room at work, filling up my coffee cup. Disappointed that I hadn't eaten breakfast, I had already decided that I'd settle for a flavored coffee, (sometimes it feels like I've had a donut that way.) As I lifted my freshly brewed cup of macadamia nut off the machine, I was positive I was being stared at. I whirled around to confront the impatient intruder, only to have our eyes lock.

There before me, staring right back into my eyes, with the sweetest smile across his face, I saw it. The reason for my bliss upon getting out of bed this morning. The Eat N Park Smiley cookie, in all its glory, had been delivered to Tysons VA straight from Pittsburgh PA. There was one left in the tray, and it was calling my name. And I gobbled it up.

Not before taking its portrait first, of course!

Was the cookie delicious? Not really. Was it fresh out of the Eat N Park oven? Unfortunately not. But in that corporate office outside of booming DC, after sitting in 2 hours of rush-hour bmw traffic: that cookie represented the best 5 years of my life.

Living in the Ohio Valley, attending at Franciscan University, having the best friends in the world, meeting my husband...it all brought back the memories of late nights at Eat N Park. I could hear the oldies mix that they used to play after midnight at Eat N Park as I ate that cookie. I could practically feel my stomach turning inside out from foolishly ordering the "Stickies and Eggs" again. I even had a vision of the "Frownie", the "Smiley's" arch-nemesis, from the dive across the street from good ol' Eat N Park.

I don'tmake this stuff up, folks.

Could tomorrow somehow top today's euphoria? Only if this guy shows up:

What Others are Saying About "No Better Place to Be":

"Em, You are the best!!!! I love all the posts..... it is truly you on paper (well, the screen on my computer.... but I like to imagine you writing the blog with a feather and ink by candle light instead)!" -LW